Suchergebnisse

The current study investigates the demographic processes and challenges of
the Hungarian developmentally peripheral settlements. Demographic challenges
can be regarded as important consequences of the social and economic
disadvantages in spatial terms. However, the interrelating negative
demographic tendencies cause even more backward situation blocking or
hindering the development. The objective of the current analysis is to
discover the demographic characteristics of the peripheral settlements, to
detect the spatial disparities and to point out the correlation between
backwardness and the investigated demographic phenomena with the help of the
census databases 1980-2011 and local datasets on Roma population. Using
methods of multivariate statistical analysis, seven indicators were selected
in order to achieve the goals of the paper. Backward areas are primarily
characterized by population decrease with significant disparities, but there
were growing communities among them as well. Some small villages in Northern
and Southwestern Hungary will foreseeably face complete depopulation within
few years. Primarily small sized villages faced intense decrease in rate of
natural change, but dynamic population growth was also detected. Migration
loss tends to correlate with the extent of peripherality, as increasing
values of migration balance accompany decreasing ratio of peripheral
settlements in the area. The ratio of elderly population shows an
expressively two-faced character, with the extremely aging and very juvenile
settlements. The ratios of Roma population reflect the scale of
peripherality. Extended ethnic change could be predicted in Northeastern and
Southwestern Hungary and near the Middle Tisza valley. Presented demographic
processes will make the backwardness of most of the peripheral settlements
stable.